Happy Friday!  It’s bright and sunny over in Highland Park this morning, and there are many exciting things happening in the tech. world this week.  We will look into Amazon product reviews, Google’s new science project, Volkswagen’s new clean engine lineup, a preview of Apple’s new software, and to top it off, an analysis of the technology bubble.  How is all this innovation going to lead us in the future?  Are we in a bubble mania similar to the one in the late 90’s?

Spotlight on Amazon

Amazon’s new Fire Phone has failed to impress Yahoo and The New York Times who say that its features are impressive, yet they lack a step forward in efficiency or usefulness.  The phone’s personal assistant “Firefly” is basically a shazam for everything; it recognizes real-world objects through the camera lens, then find the item for sale on Amazon.  In terms of usability, it would be a great first-time smartphone for someone, but for those who have a history with smartphones, may want to hold off for later versions.

To read more about the Fire Phone’s features, click here

Technology for the Living 

Google has just embarked on a major health project where it will collect health data on 175 people to attempt to determine a basic outline of a perfectly healthy human.  It will use the data to then analyze health issues.  This is another Google X Project.  The hope for this project is to enable researchers to detect killers such as heart disease and cancer far earlier, pushing medicine more toward prevention rather than treatment of illness.

Check out all the details on the project here here

VW is Making Eco Moves

Volkswagen has announced it’s 2015 lineup this week that may very well be the future of the company.  While the popular models will remain the same, some of them are getting a new technology package.  The package includes a rear-view camera, a higher-end sound system, and build-in SiriusXM.  Most importantly, the diesel version of the Passat is getting a “clean diesel” engine.  Volkswagen claims that this engine will be able to travel 814 highway miles before needing a fill-up.

Check out all the new model features here

New Software from Apple

Apple’s new operating system for Macs, called OS X Yosemite, is now available for the public to test-drive. Yosemite offers a bold visual redesign, but one that still feels rooted in the familiar simplicity that Mac users have grown to love.  The result is a cleaner, more vibrant operating system that takes a few design cues from Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS.

Take a tour of the new software features here

Mistakes We Have Learned From

Tech activity has been hot in many ways that resemble the internet bubble 15 years ago.  Like a young adolescent who has seen the older sibling make all the mistakes, technology today is careful, practical and deliberate.  One big difference that separates now from then, is that venture capitalists are no longer throwing money at ideas.  Startups now need proof of profitability and a well thought out plan before receiving any investing.  Another major difference is how cloud computing has changed business.  Start-up costs are significantly less expensive.

Check out more details on the then-and-now here here

Keep an eye out for Google’s new health project, this is a technology innovation that will surely increase human quality of life.  And let’s hope that the growth in the tech industry as  whole has learned it’s lessons from past mistakes, and will continue to succeed.  Have a great weekend!

Until next time.